5 Wildest Details From NBC’s Hiring and Firing of Ronna McDaniel

(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

NBC News shocked everyone twice in the last few days, first by hiring former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel , and then by terminating said contract in a matter of days or, as brief White House Director of Communications Anthony Scaramucci described , “.1 Scaramucci.”

The short time period of McDaniel at NBC was filled with enough drama to fill her two year contract and more. Her contributor termination came after a tense back-and-forth with Kristen Welker in her sole network appearance and a revolt by MSNBC’s top anchors, who openly blasted the network’s leadership and described McDaniel as an election denier.

“The RNC helped the Trump campaign assemble fake electors in Michigan, provided a platform for Trump lawyers to hold that news conference with Rudy Giuliani alleging a global conspiracy to rig the election against Trump, and you yourself called the election ‘rigged’ multiple times,” Welker noted on Meet the Press , the very show where McDaniel made her only NBC appearance.

McDaniel acknowledged President Joe Biden won the 2020 election and said her past comments and efforts were part of her job as a spokesperson for the RNC.

“There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group. After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor,” NBCU News Group Chairman Cesar Conde wrote in a note to staff days after McDaniel’s Meet the Press appearance. “No organization, particularly a newsroom, can succeed unless it is cohesive and aligned. Over the last few days, it has become clear that this appointment undermines that goal.”

He said he took “fully responsibility” for the decision and personally apologized.

From irate television anchors to potential legal trouble, here’s a look at the five wildest details — both from public moments and behind-the-scenes reporting — from McDaniel’s short time under the NBC umbrella.

MSNBC revolts

Only days after news broke of McDaniel’s contributor agreement, MSNBC anchors took to the airwaves and made it clear in a unison voice that the former RNC chair was not welcome.

Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski put a personal ban on McDaniel. This followed former Meet the Press anchor Chuck Todd telling Welker that NBC leadership owed her an apology following her McDaniel interview.

“I think our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation,” he said .

Following Todd’s public objection, MSNBC’s biggest stars threw their hats into the ring, protesting the hire, including Nicolle Wallace , Jen Psaki , Rachel Maddow , and others.

The Wall all Street Journal initially reported , citing people familiar with the network drama, that MSNBC President Rashida Jones made it clear to the anchors at her network that they had full control of their shows and were not under any obligation to put McDaniel on the air.  This assurance of editorial freedom apparently wasn’t enough because it came before the wave of anchors took to giving on air protests.

Rashida Jones lobbied for Ronna at MSNBC

The wild part about the Journal reporting is that Jones actually lobbied McDaniel to join the network, according to an extensive report from Puck’s Dylan Byers .

McDaniel’s hiring was reportedly a two month long wooing process headed by NBC executive Carrie Budoff Brown and NBC News President Rebecca Blumenstein . Eventually, Conde became part of the talks.

The initial plan was to have McDaniel be part of the NBC News umbrella, taking part in election night coverage and other events. According to Puck, Jones who showed initial interest in McDaniel taking part in MSNBC’s political coverage as well, despite the network’s left-leaning programming.

The expanded deal, worth a reported $300,000 a year over two years, would have McDaniel appearing on both NBC News and MSNBC.

Kristen Welker meets with Ronna McDaniel

Another surprising detail from Puck’s report is that Welker was present at a meeting in which McDaniel and Budoff Brown discussed her coming on board. The meeting was held between Welker and McDaniel about a potential interview on Meet the Press , but Budoff Brown attended as McDaniel was under consideration for a contributor position, according to Puck’s report. A source familiar with the meeting confirmed to Mediaite the meeting between Welker and McDaniel was for a potential post-RNC interview.

An NBC spokesperson denied Welker had any involvement in McDaniel’s hiring, something the anchor also made clear in her weekend interview with McDaniel.

“As Kristen disclosed to viewers on Sunday, she was in no way involved in [McDaniel’s] hiring, nor was involved in the decision-making process, and did not participate in conversations surrounding a contributor contract,” the spokesperson said.

“This will be a news interview, and I was not involved in her hiring,” Welker said in her own statement on the same Meet the Press episode that she interviewed McDaniel.

NBC executive lobbied for support for McDaniel

While facing backlash over McDaniel’s hiring on Sunday, after her appearance on Meet the Press and Chuck Todd’s on-air criticism, Budoff Brown contacted Richard Walters , a former aide to McDaniel, according to Puck’s report.

Per the report, the two discussed if any supporters of McDaniel could speak out on her behalf, and even call attention to an alleged double standard between the outrage faced by McDaniel compared to other politicos who join news networks.

Budoff Brown flatly denied that there was any discussion with Walters about specific talking points and said she only asked for supporters to speak on her behalf as a contributor.

“After the show, I had a conversation with Richard Walters and asked if [McDaniel] had supporters who could speak on behalf of her being an NBC News contributor. I never discussed what to say, how to say it, or who to focus on,” Budoff Brown said in a statement.

.1 Scaramuccis may equal $600,000 — or more

Perhaps the most shocking part of McDaniel’s brief time as an NBC contributor is that it may pay out for her big in the end.

McDaniel is reportedly seeking a full payout of her two-term contract, which would be around $600,000 .

McDaniel could also be exploring “potential defamation and hostile work environment torts,” according to Politico , so the former RNC chair could have plans for a little more than $600,000.

Even if she only received her full contract payout, her sole NBC appearance would equate to approximately $30,000 a minute and $500 a second. That’s one expensive Scaramucci.